USDA Opens New $175 Million Program to Expand Rural Nuclear Power Supply, Strengthen America’s Grid

(Washington, D.C., September 14, 2026) - U.S. Department of Agriculture's Under Secretary for Rural Development Glen Smith today announced $175 million available in the new Affordable Rural Cooperative Program (ARC) to boost rural nuclear power and strengthen the reliability of America's electric power transmission.

"The directive from President Trump is clear: we must invest in stronger, broader, more reliable power to keep America at the forefront of growth and progress," said Smith. "With this new program, USDA is helping our nation's electric cooperatives expand American power generation with more efficient technologies. This investment ensures rural communities continue to benefit from affordable, resilient energy for decades to come."

ARC, administered through USDA Rural Development's Rural Utilities Service (RUS), offers loans and grants to help eligible electric cooperatives to take actions to make electrical systems run more efficiently and reliably by deploying advanced, efficient transmission infrastructure and nuclear power supply. Investments under this program will help keep power more affordable with new sources of cooperative power supply and enhanced transmission efficiency.

RUS is accepting Letters of Interest beginning October 19,2026, and until November 20, 2026, from electric cooperatives that serve rural areas. For more information on this program, visit the program page online and review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity. For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway. The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making agency investment data accessible to the public. If you'd like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our subscriber page.

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